A Fair Barbarian: Original Text

By: Burnett, Frances Hodgson

The natural result of these efforts was, that Miss Belinda was moved to shed a few tears."I hope you will excuse my being too startled to say I was glad to see you," she said. "I have not seen my brother for thirty years, and I was very fond of him.""He said you were," answered Octavia; "and he was very fond of you too. He didn't write to you, because he made up his mind not to let you hear from him until he was a rich man; and then he thought he would wait until he could come home, and surprise you. He was awfully disappointed when he had to go back without seeing you.""Poor, dear Martin!" wept Miss Belinda gently. "Such a journey!"Octavia opened her charming eyes in surprise."Oh, he'll come back again!" she said. "And he doesn't mind the journey. The journey is nothing, you know.""Nothing!" echoed Miss Belinda. "A voyage across the Atlantic nothing? When one thinks of the danger, my dear"-Octavia's eyes opened a shade wider."We have made the trip to the States, across the Isthmus, twelve times, and that takes a month," she remarked. "So we don't think ten days much.""Twelve times!" said Miss Belinda, quite appalled. "Dear, dear, dear!"And for some moments she could do nothing but look at her young relative in doubtful wonder, shaking her head with actual sadness.But she finally recovered herself, with a little start."What am I thinking of," she exclaimed remorsefully, "to let you sit here in this way? Pray excuse me, my dear. You see I am so upset."She left her chair in a great hurry, and proceeded to embrace her young guest tenderly, though with a little timorousness. The young lady submitted to the caress with much composure."Did I upset you?" she inquired calmly.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08YQQWWKT
• ISBN13: 9798721569432
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"